Patrice Evra has revealed his dream Manchester United signing as Michael Carrick closes in on a £38m deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson. The Brazilian is set to become Carrick's first permanent signing after he was appointed full-time manager following United's return to the Champions League.
Ederson deal nears completion
Manchester United will pay an initial £35m for Ederson, with a further £3m in add-ons. He will become the third Atalanta player to join United in recent years, following Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo. The club targets Ederson as they revamp their midfield after Casemiro's departure and uncertainty over Manuel Ugarte's future. At least one more midfielder is expected to arrive, with United interested in Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, and Carlos Baleba.
Evra's dream signing
Evra hopes United continue to bolster their midfield but named Victor Osimhen as his dream summer signing. Speaking to GOAL, he said: 'Victor Osimhen. I have all due respect for Galatasaray, the love he gets there and what the player is like. Manchester United need a proper striker, and I have so much respect for the strikers at Man United. But, back in the day, we had four amazing strikers, and if you want to play every competition, you need more strikers.'
Evra added: 'Of course, you need some defenders, like an extra left back, because you could have an injury and a right-back. Of course, Casemiro is leaving, so you need to replace those players. But to name one player, I say Osimhen because I know this guy can make a difference.'
Osimhen's impressive record
Osimhen scored 22 goals for Galatasaray last season, helping them win the league. He has 59 goals in 74 games since joining from Napoli for £65m. Chelsea came close to signing him before his move to Turkey, while Manchester United and Arsenal have also been linked. Louis Saha recently urged United to revive their interest, calling Osimhen a 'transformational signing'.
Saha said: 'I really like Victor Osimhen. He's definitely got the character, he's got the quality. He's also got good European pedigree: he was a success in France, he was a champion in Italy with Napoli, and he's gone to Turkey with Galatasaray and been brilliant. He's scored goals at every level. He's got Champions League experience, and furthermore, he's got the type of personality and charisma that this United squad could really benefit from.'
Carrick on transfer window
Carrick commented on the upcoming transfer window: 'I think the beauty of the next transfer window for everybody, it's always the biggest thing in the world, and the most important transfer window of all time for every club I think. That's just the nature of how it's been created. And I think, again, as a football club, you want to keep moving forward. We certainly do as a football club, want to keep moving forward. So, I think it's acknowledged we're at this stage and the dynamics and the balance of the direction we're at, where we've ended up getting to and finishing in the league. And there's obviously work to do. I know it's quite obvious, there's certain players leaving, that there's a bit of work to do.'
United's striker situation
Manchester United spent £74m on Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko last summer. Sesko struggled under former manager Ruben Amorim but ended the season well, scoring 11 Premier League goals. Evra's call for Osimhen adds to the growing speculation about United's attacking reinforcements.
